Center bearing for tube frames



y 7, 1929- G. D. LIOCKWO OD ET AL .l,7ll,604

I CENTER BEARING FOR TUBE FRAMES Filed Aug. 3, 1925 I/vwswTan-q 65am: D.Lockwaop I 175197: 6rclZ2cZen6e2-y Patented May 7, 1929.

- UNITEDYSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

unset GEORGE D. LOCKWOOD AND JOEN G. SOD'ERBEEG, E NORCE STEB,MASSACHUSETTS,

ASSIGNORS TO CROMITON & KNOJVLES LOOM WORKS, 615 WORCESTER, MASSA-CHUSETTS, A CQRIPORATIONv OF MASSACHUSETTS. V I

CENTER BEARING TUBE FRAMES.

Application filedAugust 3, 1925; Serial No. 47,788.

This invention relates to tube frames such as are used inAxminstercarpet looms, and particularly to the spool bearings thereon.These carpet looms are built to Weave very wide fabrics and it isnecessary to support several yarn spools on each tube frame. he

provision of a simple and effective center spool bearingfor such tubeframes has been a matter of some diliiculty and such center spoolbearings have commonly been made with a loose or removable part topermit insertion of the spools.

It is the object of our invention to provide a simple and rigid centerspool bearing which may be cheaply and easily constructed and which willbe entirely reliable in use.

Our invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed outin'the appended claim.

A preferred form of'the invention is shown in the drawings, in whichFig. 1 is a front elevation of a tube frame having our improved bearingsapplied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of our improved tube frame, partiallybroken away and taken along the line 22 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional longitudinal elevation, taken along the line 38 inFig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a sectional transverse elevation taken along the line 44 inFig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional front elevation of. the outer end portionof one of the spools,

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a spring used in our improved center bearing,and

Fig. 7 is an end view thereof, looking in the direction of the arrow 7in Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, we have indicatcd a tube frame comprising theusual rectangular tubular metallic member 10 to which are secured theyarn tubes 11 and the end bearing brackets 12. A series of yarn spoolsS, S and S are mounted on each tubular member 10, with the outsidebearings of the end spools supported in the brackets 12 and with theintern'iediate bearings of the spools supported in our improved centerbearings, indicated generally by the letter C.

In the preferred construction, each center bearing C comprises a pair ofplates and .21 which are welded or otherwise permanently securedtogether and which are provided with out-turned lower ends forming alateral ly extended base portion 22. The plates 20 and 21 are recessedat both sides adjacent the base 22, as indicated at 28 in Fig. 4;, andfor a purpose to be described. Each pair of plates 20 and 21 areprovided with aplain cylindrical opening 2 1, whichjforms a bearing forthe adjacent inner end portions of two yarn spools, as S and S. c a

A casing or guideway 25 is secured to the upper side of the tubularmember 10 by screws 26 or in any other convenient manner to form withthe adjacent part of the tube frame a substantially closed compartmentfor the base' 22. Said casing is provided with an elongated slotoropening 27 fitting the recessed lower end of the plates 20 and 21.

The base 22 forms a sliding fit within the casing 25 and is thus guidedfor movement longitudinally of the tube frame.

A spring 28 is placed in the casing 25 at one end of the base 22, asindicated in Figs. 2 and 3, and acts to move the center bearingyieldingly to the opposite end of the slot or opening 27. The ends ofthe spring 28 may be flattened out, as indicated at 29 in Fig. 7, v

to provide a better bearing against the base 22 and the end of thecasing 25. The intermediate ends of the spools are commonly pro videdWith interlocking cylindrical portions,

as indicated at 30 and 31 in Fig. 3. p

The spool S may be placed in position by sliding the center bearing C tothe left sufliciently to permit the outer bearing of the spool to beplaced in the end bracket 12 and to permit the intermediate bearingmember 30 to be aligned with the opening 24. The

center bearing C is then released and is moved by the spring 28 towardthe spool S until the member is seated in the center bearing. One ormore intermediate spools S'inay then be placed. in position by similaroperations and the end spool S is commonly provided with a springplunger 33, as indicated in Fig. 5, which may be pressed back into thespool to permit insertion thereof in the end bearing bracket 12.

I I When assembling the device the bearing is turned. around a quarterturn from the position shown in Fig. 2 and the upper part of the bearingpassed upwardly through the opening 27. vVhen the recesses 23 areopposite the top of the casing 25 the bearing is tur to substantiallythe position shown 2. To. facilitate said tamin Qll agonally oppositecorners of the recesses are rounded as at 34. The said reduced portionof the bearing lying between the recesses is approximately the samewidth as the slot 27 but the latter is somewhat longer than the upperpart of the hearing 0. Because of the position of the rounded corners asit is possible to form the bearing of two similar plates which arestamped alike.

We have thus provided a construction by which a series of yarn spoolsmay be readily mounted upon a tube frame and in which each of the centerbearings C is formed substantially as a single piece of material havinga plain cylindrical bearing opening with a continuous cylindricalsurface and having no loose or removable parts involved in theconstruction thereof.

lVhen the spools are all in position, as indicated in Fig. 1, it isimpossible for the center bearings C to move out of operative positionand it is impossible for the bearing members 30 or 31 of the spools toescapefroin the bearing openings 2% in said center bearings C.

Having thus described our invention and the advantages thereof, we donot wish to be' limited to the'details herein disclosed otherwise thanas set forth in the claim, but what we claim is: I v

An 1- Xminstertube frame havinga tubular metal body portion, a casingsecured to the outside of said body portion and having an outer wall.spaced from said body portion and provided with an elongated openingintermediate the ends of the casing, and a member providing a centerbearing between two yarn spools and mounted in said casing for slidingmovement longitudinally of said tube frame and formed of two similarplates each having a perforatedvertical portion to provide a bearing andeach provided with a horizontally extending foot, said plates beingsecured together with the feet extending in opposite directions so thatthe perforated upright portions of the bearing lie interi'nediate theends of the feet and extending up through the opening in said casing.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures. v v

- GEORGE D. LOCKVVOOD.

JOHN G. SODERBERG.

